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But plans stalled amid push-back from Washington that saw US relations with its NATO ally set in the deep freeze.

However,
Trump has since tweeted that Turkey and America are planning to
increase trade and strengthen ties as US troops begin a ‘low and highly
coordinated’ withdrawal from Syria.

As part of the agreement, America will take back weapons it gave to the Kurdish forces during the fight with ISIS.

In
return, Erdogan vowed to delay a military campaign against the Kurds,
but on Tuesday foreign minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu indicated it would go
ahead as soon as practically possible.

According to the Guardian, he insisted that ‘if Turkey says it will enter [Syria], it will.’

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Tanks and military vehicles are
pictured in the Turkish border town of al-Rai on Christmas Day as they
prepare to move into Syria

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Turkish president Recep Tayyip
Erdogan had vowed to delay a military push into Syria as the Americans
left, but his foreign minister has indicated otherwise

Trump’s shock announcement has caused concern in Washington and prompted the resignation of Secretary of Defense James Mattis.

As
he submitted his letter of resignation to Trump on December 26, Mattis
issued a videotaped Christmas message to all American servicemen and
women.

In it, he said: ‘Since
Washington crossed the Delaware at Christmas in 1776, American troops
have missed holidays at home to defend our experiment in democracy.

‘To
all you lads and lasses holding the line in 2018 on land, at sea or in
the air, thanks for keeping the faith. Merry Christmas and may God hold
you safe.’

Mattis’s resignation letter
initially said he would be leaving his post at the end of January, but
that date was rushed forward after Trump found out it criticised him.

Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan will be named as acting secretary effective from January 1.

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Trump’s shock announcement that
US troop will withdraw from Syria prompted the resignation of Secretary
of Defense James Mattis, who gave a Christmas message thanking members
of the armed forces for their service (pictured)

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Trump says Turkey and the US are
going to increase their trade ties as a result of the troop withdrawal,
which had angered Ankara

Elsewhere,
Syrian government troops backed by Russian forces sent extra troops
towards the city of Manbij in preparation for an attack.

The
city is currently controlled by a Kurdish militia, which helped to
coordinate the movements and will withdraw before the attack takes
place.

The move is part of the wider buildup of forces in the area.

‘The
battle will soon start,’ Major Youssef Hamoud, spokesman for the
National Army, the main Turkish-backed rebel force in the area, told
Reuters.

‘What we see on the front now is reinforcements to all forces to reach full preparedness for the battle.’

‘The
Russian army has restored the Syrian-Russian coordination centre to
Arima village to the west of Manbij city, after its withdrawal from
there a while ago,’ said Sharfan Darwish, the spokesman for the Manbij
Military Council.
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